Paths of Faith: How Did the Mother of the Chafetz Chaim Merit Such a Son?

We must understand that despite the wisdom of a Jewish mother, without accompanying prayer, she cannot succeed. Above all, only prayer can help us merit to educate our children to walk the good path.

Of course, prayer without effort and investment will not yield fruits.

The great figures of Israel knew how much their children’s education depended on prayer, so they invested in prayer for them, shedding tears like water for their success.

Prayers are the secret to meriting righteous children.

When the mother of the Chafetz Chaim was asked how she merited such a son, she initially hesitated, but upon being pressed to reveal the secret, she said her mother advised her to seize every moment to pray for her children. Indeed, each time she finished her housework or waited for a pot to boil, she used the time to weep in prayer for her son. It was found that the Chafetz Chaim's mother's prayer book was completely stained with tears, with its letters blurred.

This was how the mother of the Chafetz Chaim acted and merited such a great son. Let us also invest in prayer, for none of us have insurance on our children. Even if a mother invests her all, there is no guarantee that all her children will follow the good path, though not investing means she has indeed destroyed with her own hands. But she must remember, if she wishes to see blessed offspring, she must pray, pray, and pray again.

In our generation, even parents who invest and give everything to their child, providing education, love, and warmth that protect the child, find the streets today pose dangers with all boundaries breached. On a tiny computer the size of a palm, one can witness all the world’s desires and nonsense. If, Heaven forbid, a child falls into bad company, even a minor personal crisis at a time of household difficulties can complicate matters significantly...

Even if we have invested everything, we cannot always control the outcomes, and even in the best families, unfortunately, there are children who stray from the path not due to the parents’ fault and despite their investment in all areas. Yet, one thing we can do: pray for divine assistance in education and that the children follow the good path. The strongest weapon has always been prayer.

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